The disclosure relates generally to the field of chewable products for animals, such as pet treats, that promote engagement and oral health.
Certain animals, especially dogs, but also including horses, ruminants, and rodents, are known to chew various articles for purposes other than food consumption. It is believed that such chewing behavior satisfies an animal's urge to chew and that such chewing can have beneficial effects for the dental health and hygiene of the animal.
A wide variety of products are commercially available that can be chewed by animals, especially for domesticated dogs kept as pets. Many of these products are designed to be appetizing to dogs, such as by inclusion of flavorants or aromants that simulate the flavors or aromas of foods enjoyed by dogs. Many of these products are also designed to be consumable, as well as to provide at least some limited dental benefits, such as frictional wiping of tooth surfaces. However, existing animal chew products have several shortcomings.
Such products provide relatively limited dental health benefits, in that abrasion and wiping effects exerted by such chews on animal teeth tend to be substantially limited to primary biting surfaces (e.g., tips of incisors and canine teeth and grinding surfaces of molars and premolars). Some available chews soften substantially upon chewing or fracture into large or sharp fragments, presenting risks of injuries to the throat and other parts of the digestive system. Portions of some animal chew products (e.g., especially dough-based or biscuit-like products) dissolve or become pasty when they absorb liquid, such as saliva, and can leave stains and other residue on surfaces when a wet product contacts the surface. Target animals tend to lack interest in some available animal chew products, whether because of insufficiently enticing taste or smell, objectionable texture or consistency, cumbersome or non-appealing size and shape, disproportionate portion size, or other reasons.
A need exists for improved animal chews which can confer benefits to animals having an urge to chew. The subject matter disclosed herein relates to animal chews which improve upon or overcome one or more of the shortcomings of previously-known products.